Clutch consturction having toothed fiber disks



W. R. COUGHTRY CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION HAVING TCCTHED FIBER DIsxs FiledISept. 24. 1924 A TTORNEYS,

- Fig. 1.

Patented Oct. 6, 1925. Y

UNITED STATES 1,556,427 PATENT oFFlcE.

WILLIAM REED COUGHTRY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A'SSIGNOR T0 THE BROWN-LIPE GEAR COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.v

CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION'` HAVING 'ITOO'IHIEDy FIBER DISKS.

Application filed September 24, 1924. Serial No. 739,508.

Tol all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM REED UOUGH- 'rRY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful ClutchConstruction Having Toothed Fiber Disksof which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to multiple disk clutches and particularly l toclutches in which one set of disks is provided with liber teeth forsli-dably interlocking with comple mental teeth or grooves formed in thedriven' 4or driving element of the clutch with which said disks rotate,and hasfor its object a. particularly simple, strong and elficientconstruction by Which a clearance is provided for the material worn fromthe liber teeth and also outlet from such clearance for such material. i

The invention. consists in the novel features and in the combinationsand constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed and described.` i

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 isa vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a clutchembodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken approximately online 2-2,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view apy proximately on line 3-3, Fig.2, the disk shown in Fig. 2, being omitte In multiple disk clutcheshaving one set of disks formed with fiber teeth, that is, one set ofdisks bein'g offibrous material and formed with fiber teeth instead ofbeing corn.- posed .of steel disks formed with teeth and having fiberdisks riveted thereto, the material of' the fiber teeth wears and clogsinto spaces or grooves in which the teeth are interlocked and interfereswith the sliding or releasing action of the clutch and this inventionhas primarily for its Aobject ai con-- struction by which suchinterference is eliminlated.

, This invention comprises, generally, a clutch embodying driving landdriven elements and sets of interleaved disks inter.- lockedrespectively with said elements, one or each of said elements comprisinga drum Vis iriterloeked, is formed with lengthwise informed withlengthwise grooves therein and one set of disks bein'g of fibrousmaterial or havmg fibrous teeth or projections slidably binterlocked inthe grooves, the grooves and the projections being formed to provide aclearance at the bottoms of the grooves and the tops of the projectionsfor material worn from the fiber teeth. v

1 designates the driving element, which is usually the ity-wheel of Vaninternal combustionengine for motor vehicles in which the clutch isinstalled. The ily-wheel has a drum 2 on the rear side thereof.

The driven element comprises a shaft 3 having a member or drum 4thereon, within the drum 2.

5 and 6 are respectively sets of interleaved disks, slide-blyinterlocked respectively with the inner drum 4 and the outer drum 2, thedisks 5 being usually steel, and the disks 6 of fibrous frictionalmaterial and formed with peripheral projections'or fibrous teeth 7 Thedisks are pressed into en'gaging position in any suitable manner, as bya main spring 8, interposed between the rear headv of the inner drum 4and a spring abutment 9, the latter being connected to a pressure plate10 by pull rods or bolts 11. The disks are released to disengage theclutch by any suitable means, that here shown being a throwout collar12, connected tothe pressure plate 10 and coacting with a throw-out yoke13, which is actuated by .a lever or clutch pedal, not shown,'in theusual manner. Although one set ofdsks is formed with fibrous teeth, bothsets may be formed therewith, but preferably the set interlocked withthe outer drum 2 only, is provided with fibrous teeth. The constructionof the disks or the use of brous disks with fibrous teeth, per se, formsno part of this invention.

This invention has for its object a construction, whereby means isprovided for ermitting the matter worn off from. the nbrous teeth frominterfering with the free sliding action of the disks, or the formationof a clearance or outlet for the worn matter, without materiallyweakening the interlock- .ing teeth. i

As here illustrated, the outer drum 2, that the drum with which thefiber disks are terna-l grooves in the form of spaces between gearteeth, and in fact the outer drum is in effect formed with internal gearteeth, the 11 lspaces between which are cut full depth,

that is, with a full depth cutter, and the teeth of the fibrous disksare also'in the form of gear teeth, but the spaces 15 being cut fulldepth, a clearance is provided at 16 at the ends of the teeth of thedisks for receiving the matter worn from the disks. Also preferably theteeth 7 of the fiber disks 6 are stub teeth, thereby together with thefull depth spaces forming clearances for the matter worn from the fiberteeth. Owin to the fact that the spaces are full depth an the teeth ofthe disks stub teeth, ampie stock is left at the bases of the internalteeth of the drum 2 to provide strength to the teeth,

. or without undue weakening the teeth by the formation of theclearance. Preferably the spaces between the teeth of the drum areformed with outlets for the matter that accumulates in the clearancespaces 16, and, as here shown, the drum 2 is formed with annularperipheral spaced apart grooves 17, which open through the bottoms ofthe full depth spaces, the portions 18 left between the grooves 17constituting braces or supports for the internal teeth of the drum 2; Asthe spaces between the teeth of the drum 2 are fulll depth, ample stockis provided without weakening the teeth at their roots. These annulargrooves in effect make the drum in skeleton or cage form, the teethconstituting lengthwise bars and the annular ribs 18 supporting orreinforcing means for the bars. l v

In operation the matter worn from the teeth 7 of the fiber disksaccumulate in the clearance spaces, and these clearance spaces are largeenough to contain all the matter that would be worn off from the fiberteeth during the life of the disks. However, owing to the skeletonformation of the drum this matter can work out through the perforationsas it accumulates.

What I claim is:

1. In a multiple disk clutch, the combina tion of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked respectively withsaid elements, one of the elements comprising a drum formed withlengthwise grooves therein, one set of disks being of fibrous materialand having fiber projections slidably interlocked in the grooves, thegrooves and projections being formed to provide a clearance at thebottoms of the grooves and the tops of the projections.

2. In a multiple disk clutch, the combination of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked respectively withsaid elements, one of said elements comprising a drum formed withllengthwise rooves therein, one set of disks being of gibrous materialand having fiber projections slidably interlocked in the grooves, thegrooves and the projections being in the form e of gear teeth and beingformed to provide a clearance at the bottoms of the grooves in one ofsaid elements and the tops of the teeth.

3. In a multiple disk clutch, the combination of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked respectively Withsaid elements, one of said elements comprising'a drum formed withlengthwise grooves therein, one set of disks being of fibrous materialand having fiber projections slidably interlocked in the grooves, thegrooves being in the form of full depth spaces between gear teeth andthe projections being in the form of stub gear teeth, thereby .aclearance between the ends of the teeth of the disks and the bottoms ofthe spaces for material worn from the fiber teeth and the element formedwith the spaces being also formed with perforations opening through thebottoms of the full depth spaces.

5. In a multiple disk clutch, the combination of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked respectively withsaid elements, one of the elements comprising a drum formed withlengthwise grooves, one set of disks being provdinga clearance betweenthe ends of` the stub gear teeth and the bottoms of the of fibrousmaterial and having fiber projections interlocked in the grooves, thegrooves being in the form of spaces between gear teeth and theprojections being in the form of gear teeth, the grooves being fulldepth thereby providing a clearance for the material worn from the berteeth, between the ends of the teeth and the bottoms of the full depthspaces or grooves, and the drum having a cylindrical wall of reducedthickness at spaced apart intervals and such reducedl portions openingthrough the bottoms of the full depth spaces thereby providing an outletfor the worn material in the clearance I spaces.

'6. In a multiple disk clutch, the combination of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocking respectively withsaid elements, one of the elements comprising a drum formed withlengthwise grooves, one set of disks being of fibrous material andhaving fiber projections interlocked in the grooves, the

and such reduced portions opening throughthe bottoms of the full depthspaces thereby providing an outlet for the worn materialin the clearancespace.

7. In a multiple disk clutch, the combinaltion of a driving and ldrivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked reysoectively withsaid elements, one of said e ements comprising a drum formed withinternal lengt wlse grooves therem and one set of disks being of fibrousmaterial and. `having externalv fiber projections slidably interlockedin the grooves, the grooves being in the form of full depth spacesbetween ear teeth, and the projections of the disk ingv in the form ofstub gear teeth thereby provlding a clearance space between the ends 'ofthe A. ar teeth-'and the bottoms of the l:Spaces or the liber worn fromthe teeth and the drum bein apart annular perip eral grooves openingthrough the bottoms of said spaces thereby provi the grooves. y

8. In a multiple disk clutch, the combination of driving and drivenelements and sets of interleaved disks interlocked res' ectively withsaid elements, oneof said e ements being in the form of a skeleton drum`comprising parallel spaced apart bars and spaced apart means supportingthe bars between thelr ends and one set of disks having projectionsslidabh7 interlockedwith the bars and projecting into the spaces betweenthe bars.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed m name, at Syracuse, in thecounty of Onon aga, and State of New York, this 22ndl day of Sept.,1924.

, WILLIAM REED COUGHTRY;

formed with spaced ing outlets o'r'the worn material inl

